Undercover Wife
by MorgainsDespair
Summary: Sesshoumaru is forced into an arranged marriage that goes horribly wrong, but his mother's quick thinking saves them from political anarchy when she has Kagome, his fiance's dead ringer, take her place, much to Inuyasha's distress. AU. SessKag.
1. Prologue: Arranged Marriage

Undercover Wife

Prologue: Arranged Marriage

"Mother, please," Sesshoumaru said with an exasperated sigh. He pinched the bridge of his nose and tried to fend off the headache coming his way. His regal mother looked at him with an amused grin.

"My dear son, we have talked about this since your father's death. Our kingdom is fragile, and our numbers are dwindling as the western world seeps into the hearts and minds of our people. We need an heir, and the best way to do this is to get you a fiancé." She waved her hand flippantly at him. "It's been done for centuries. Just because you consider yourself a lone wolf does not mean you are immune to your royal duties."

She stepped forward and flipped a long strand of her silver hair over her shoulder. Sesshoumaru stared at her blue crescent moon on her forehead, but he averted his eyes when her hand cupped his jaw adoringly. Suddenly, she gripped him tightly and brought his face closer hers. Golden eyes pierced warningly into his and her jaw clenched as her words came out like poison.

"You do not have a choice, boy, do you understand me? If you do not marry the Lady Jiang, I will have no choice but to strip you of your title and let your brother inherit the throne." Sesshoumaru saw her nose wrinkle at the mention of his brother. His brother was technically a bastard, but as his mother had said, their numbers were dwindling in their small kingdom. Not many youkai were left in this modern century, and even less had a small country stronghold. They were among the few, and the more their powers dwindled, the more power the other neighboring human countries held over at them, watching them like hungry dogs for their country to fail so they could scoop it up and annex them. Thankfully, their father had good relations with neighboring countries, and he even joined the United Nations and pledged alliance to the United States of America before his untimely death.

"The Lady Jiang's country will give us the strength we need to stave off China from breathing down our necks. Fang Commonwealth is one of the few youkai countries left in our part of the hemisphere, and an alliance is sure to give us the political strength we need." He saw his mother smile with satisfaction. "She is also very beautiful. Only a fool would refuse her and her large dowry."

Sesshoumaru clenched his teeth but did not retort. It was no use arguing with his mother. She was right, as always. If he did not marry soon, his brother would be in line to take his position. Inuyasha was also seeing a woman after his previous fiancé ran off, and the two of them were on the path to getting married (if his brother ever were to get over his commitment issues). Still, the reality did not bode well for Sesshoumaru's own future, and he would rather die than give up the luxury and royal power that was rightly his. He would fight beyond the youkai laws if he had to rather than his brother inherit the throne.

His brother was also a moron and surely didn't deserve the honor, Sesshoumaru thought.

Sesshoumaru sighed deeply through his nose and give into his mother. "Very well. Make the preparations to unite the family." He glowered sternly into her eyes. "I'm sure you are more than ahead with your plans already, Mother."

His mother clapped her hands together and bounced with gaiety. "Excellent! I'll contact their courier immediately."

"Remember, Mother, they are to avoid the Huang district when they arrive. I am still having trouble with gang cartels on the docks, and they have been even filtering into our international airport. I'm taking a group of agents down there this afternoon to meet a contact for some more information about their hideouts," he warned her, and his mother rolled her eyes.

"So dramatic! These gang lords are only a minor problem, Sesshoumaru. I do not even want the envoys from the Fang country to even know of their existence, lest they decide not to go through the marriage." The light from her face disappeared into a frown, and Sesshoumaru knew that his mother was hiding her anxiety. "I have faith that our federal agents will clean up this mess quickly before it escalates. I trust the safety our guests into your hands, Sesshoumaru." Then, he watched her turn around and leave, and he guessed she already forgot about their civic problems once she exited his office door.

--

After Sesshoumaru called upon his royal guards to round up his best agents, he decided to let his brother know about the plan. He included his brother on these missions begrudgingly, and he felt that he was honoring his father in a way – hoping the old man wouldn't haunt him from beyond the grave if he didn't, even though Sesshoumaru felt a superior animosity toward his half-blood brother. Sesshoumaru believed his brother should be more grateful, instead of acting like an entitled, vulgar brat like he usually did.

Still, he knew he couldn't change people.

"What do you want?" his brother said to him on the other end of the internal phone line. "Kagome's over and we're just about to leave."

"I'm going to the Huang district tonight. You need to cancel your plans with your woman," Sesshoumaru ordered.

Suddenly, like clockwork, he was lambasted with shrill protests from his brother's 'woman'.

"Hey, listen here, you jerk. I'm tired of you always ordering Inuyasha around. You could be a little more considerate about his plans before dumping yours onto him without notice. We have plans with our friends tonight at a concert, so you'll have to take care of this by yourself. You have guards, and it's your job too, isn't it?"

Sesshoumaru was ready to strangle the harpy through the line, but decided to keep his calm. He was not as shameless and rude as they were.

"Ms. Higurashi, may I remind you that both my brother and I are royal officials? It is not just my job, but Inuyasha's as well. If he wants to use his royal money to spend on you and your friends, he has to work for it. Our father left specific instructions," Sesshoumaru said, and he would give anything to see her face on the other line. He was used to verbally sparring with Kagome, something that annoyed him greatly at times, but secretly he enjoyed it when he angered her, though he would not tell anyone. Least of all Inuyasha, who would undoubtedly be jealous.

He'd had that conversation before, and the poor dolt embarrassed himself more than he intimidated Sesshoumaru. Still, he hardly gave Kagome a thought when she wasn't around, and she was more annoying than anything. His interest in women was much simpler than she could maintain: they had to be gorgeous, rich, and more than anything, of the silent variety. The last thing in the world he could tolerate is mating with a know-it-all, sharp-tongued woman who droned on incessantly.

The mere thought of it made him shudder.

"Fine," Inuyasha cracked into the phone. "I'll be up there, but Kagome's coming too. You could probably use her spiritual powers."

"I doubt that I will need her weak power, but she can come if you are sure of her safety," Sesshoumaru droned.

"Hey, pal, I can take care of myself," Kagome said to him assuredly.

Sesshoumaru smirked suddenly was glad they could not see his amusement. "Indeed," and he hung up.

To be continued…


	2. Chapter 1: Unexpected Events

Undercover Wife

Chapter One: Unexpected Events

Sesshoumaru should be used to his brother by now, but sometimes Inuyasha aggravated him to point of homicidal thoughts. At times, Sesshoumaru could barely stay sane in both their company, yet Inuyasha was worse without Kagome around. For the few occasions Sesshoumaru had run into Kagome alone, she was actually pleasant. He supposed that Inuyasha unnerved her enough to sometimes mirror his behavior.

Though, Sesshoumaru guessed it was more likely the poor woman was often disappointed with him. For three years the two had dated, and she was still waiting beyond normal patience for his brother to marry her.

It wasn't going to be easy, since Inuyasha was still trying to get over his former fiancée, who left him at the altar for someone else and then fled for New York City. The last Sesshoumaru heard was that Kikyou married a successful stock broker and had three kids, and she had a good job teaching physical education at a girl's boarding school.

Kikyou's decisions were ultimately selfish, even though Inuyasha would defend her to the end. Kikyou may have loved his brother, but the pressures of the Inu-sukai court were not to her liking. She was fiercely independent, and she had little patience for Inuyasha's lack of manners. Her high breeding was cause of such snobbery, but Sesshoumaru could empathize, considering he felt the same.

Kagome, however, was middle class and grew up in a Shinto shrine. She carried on the tradition as a miko and ran her grandfather's business as his health worsened. She'd met Inuyasha through Kikyou when the two of them had come to her shrine looking for good fortune for their wedding. After Kikyou ran off, Inuyasha visited Kagome's shrine to reminisce, and she ended up comforting him.

Now, three years later, the woman only wished to someday have a wedding of her own.

When his brother and girlfriend came into his office, Sesshoumaru was powering down his computer and picking up his jacket. Inuyasha scowled at him, but they were appropriately dressed for the chilly autumn air, which meant they were ready to come with him and his agents to the meeting.

"So what's this all about anyway? The gangs?" Inuyasha started quickly.

Sesshoumaru nodded. "My contact has vital information that he'll be dropping off at the airport. He was very insistent that I meet him at four o'clock and not be late. He said a big transaction was taking place, and that one of the superior henchman, the Shikon Jewel's right hand man, would be at the scene." Inuyasha's eyes widened and then he scowled at the name.

"So the Shikon Jewel. That's the big fish. If we can nab his henchman, we can squeeze him for intel," Inuyasha said, pounding his fist into his palm.

"That's if the Shikon Jewel is real. Some people say there is no boss, that it's just an alias to about three guys posing as lackeys to keep the heat on a mystery man, rather than using their faces," Kagome chimed in. Sesshoumaru cocked his head at her and grunted slightly.

"Rumors or not, Ms. Higurashi, we need to tap this source. I will get my hands on someone, even if I have to grab them from the bottom of the barrel and then drag them up," Sesshoumaru promised.

"Hey, is this just a distraction from the real news?" Inuyasha asked, crossing his arms and grinning mockingly at his brother.

"Real news?" Sesshoumaru acted indifferent.

"Your engagement," he said, and Sesshoumaru growled at him, ready to wipe that smug grin off his face. "I didn't know you were seeing anyone. Or that you liked women."

Sesshoumaru shot him a bored look, refusing to give his brother the satisfaction of angering him. "It is an arranged marriage, you simpleton. Mother announced it today. It's more of a political merger than anything." He scoffed. "Though I have seen her picture, I haven't even met the woman, but I heard she is of the highest breeding. Plus, Fang Commonwealth is superbly wealthy despite being such a small country."

"You do know the rumors about Fang Commonwealth, don't you?" Kagome asked. Her expression seemed neutral from the reveal of his marriage. Sesshoumaru figured she'd be teasing him along with his brother, but she seemed amiable, and when he met her eyes, he thought he saw a flash of worry.

Sesshoumaru smoothed his lapel of his jacket and threw back his ponytail, making sure it was secure before his picked up his phone. He huffed lightly. "If you are referring to rumors of their poppy seed cartels, then yes I know of them. I'm sure, like our own country, Fang has problems with drug dealers as well." He raised a single eyebrow to her and smiled. "Do you have some political unease toward this upcoming union, Ms. Higurashi, or is it something else?" He didn't mean to flirt with her in front of his brother, but making them both uncomfortable was one of Sesshoumaru's favorite hobbies.

She narrowed her eyes at him and said, "Of course not. I'm just concerned for our country. Why are you making an alliance with them? They're not even dog youkai."

"Kagome, not a lot of dog youkai are left in the modern world. There are some blue bloods in America, but as for youkai with their own countries, there are even fewer. The Fang are respectable wolf youkai and have been around for centuries. Their power is strong," Inuyasha added and then turned to Sesshoumaru. "I'm glad you're the one who is arranged to marry their princess. There are some perks in being a bastard son."

Sesshoumaru frowned at him. "You say that now, brother, but you don't know how close my mother was to marrying you off instead." Kagome gaped at him, and Sesshoumaru played it off as the truth, even though he slightly altered the details. His brother didn't need to know that he was closer to the throne this morning than ever before.

"Alright, enough of this. The car is waiting for us with my team of agents." Sesshoumaru threw his brother a warning glance. "Try to be on your best behavior, brother. This isn't a fight. This is just a meeting of information."

Inuyasha looked offended and glared at him. "Are you always going to bring up that time when I screwed up? I've been doing a good job since then."

"Yes," Sesshoumaru said haughtily, "but a warning never hurts."

They headed down the palace hallways to the large black SUV waiting outside. In the vehicle, several agents in black suits and communicators on their ears nodded to Sesshoumaru as he jumped into the passenger seat. Kagome and Inuyasha jumped way in back, scrunched between a couple agents. Inuyasha glared at his brother from behind, and Sesshoumaru guessed that he would.

He ignored him and ordered the driver to get moving.

--

"So why do you need all these agents for one meeting anyway?" Kagome asked him. Of course, Kagome had never joined them while meeting an important contact, but Sesshoumaru didn't want to take time to explain it. He didn't even want the woman here even when his brother insisted. She was dead weight to them anyway, and he hoped she stayed in the car.

"I need agents to look out for spies from the drug lords. They are all well versed in pictures and behaviors of known drug cartel offenders as well as their henchman. If they see anything or anyone suspicious, they are ordered to neutralize the situation. My brother is my back up, in case our contact has been tailed or if he betrays us." He turned to her and she looked anxious. "It has happened before. I did not want you to come, but my brother is an idiot."

"Hey!" Inuyasha protested, but Sesshoumaru ignored him and blocked Kagome from leaving the car.

"Stay out of the way, girl, or you'll ruin everything," he said sharply. She cried in offense, but her voice was cut off when he pushed her back into the seat and slammed the door. He turned to an agent who stood watch at the car. "Do not let her leave this vehicle."

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Inuyasha screamed at him, and Sesshoumaru leaned close to his brother with a warning glare.

"I am protecting your woman. It's your own stupid ego that brought her here. This is serious political business and you should not have involved a commoner like her," Sesshoumaru snarled at him. Inuyasha was taken aback by his words.

His brow furrowed. "I _always_ protect Kagome. She's not in any danger. She could help profile with the other agents, and she has spiritual power to neutralize any youkai threats."

Sesshoumaru ignored him and turned to storm ahead. Inuyasha grabbed his sleeve, but Sesshoumaru turned around and slammed his fist into his brother's jaw. Inuyasha crackled with anger, but Sesshoumaru had him by the scruff of his collar as he snarled at him.

"I do not need your female's help. I have the best royal agents at my disposal. Your woman is better back at her shrine praying for a safe and successful gain of information, understand?" he snarled.

Inuyasha still glared at him, stoked with barely restrained energy and wanting to retaliate. Instead, he did what he was told and followed Sesshoumaru as the agents heeded their orders and took their places. Sesshoumaru smoothed his jacket, and he walked ahead with an air of ease so he did not appear suspicious.

His agents moved in and out of the airport, through security and in the café district with food services and retail booths. The head of the airport knew the Royal Guard had business there, and they let them through without any hassle to their objective. However, it also meant that other slips in security were bound to happen, and Sesshoumaru counted on some of Shikon's men to get through toward the terminals. His contact would be there, unarmed he assumed, and waiting for him at one of the farther gates.

Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha broke off from the others, and his brother still scowled at him as he left Kagome behind guarded at the vehicle. He assumed in time Inuyasha would understand Sesshoumaru's precaution, and his brother should know that even a routine meeting with a contact sometimes got out of hand. Inuyasha stalked behind him slowly, staying out of view and falling back into the shadows as Sesshoumaru moved forward. He made sure the two were not associated together, and Sesshoumaru had even tucked his hair inside his suit to seem more professional against the appearance of his brother's wild mane. Still, it wasn't very hard to recognize them as brothers.

When Sesshoumaru was sure his brother was far enough away from him, but still covering him, he moved toward to the designation at Gate DD. He looked ahead as people bustled about toward their respective gates, and he gazed around indiscriminately for any sign of his contact. The airport was busy today, mostly because the Inu-sukai kingdom was a small tourist attraction for those interested in countries run by Japanese demigods, or so they were called in the human world. Tourism was 70% of their GDP, for which his mother and father had been very proud, so Sesshoumaru took comfort in seeing their airport packed full with wide-eyed travelers, even though it made finding his contact a little more difficult. However, thanks to the high number of tourists, Sesshoumaru and his contact could conduct their business affairs without much notice.

He quickened his steps when he was sure he saw the back of his contact, a turtle youkai that he had dealt with before, and who always wore the same bomber jacket to all of their meetings. Kenchi was a solemn fellow, more nervous than Sesshoumaru thought was healthy, but he provided the best information on the Shikon operation in their country and from their close neighbors.

A frantic voice buzzed in his Bluetooth, and Sesshoumaru stepped out of the crawling crowd of people and retreated toward the hallway of restrooms. He found an opened janitor closet, and after checking if he was in the clear, he stepped inside and responded to the agent that called him.

"What is it, Rika?" he asked sharply, hoping there was a good reason for delaying his meeting. He prayed his contact didn't leave if he were a few seconds late.

"Sir, you need to abort the meeting," she said hurriedly, and he could hear fear in her voice. "We found Kenchi. He was stuffed in a garbage can. Dead. Someone stole his jacket."

Sesshoumaru's fury began to rise, and he felt anger toward his contact's death, immediately wanting revenge. He stormed from the closet toward the gate, ducking into corners to see who was at Kenchi's spot. Sesshoumaru stopped when he could not find the person in the jacket anymore, which only told him the suspect was gone, probably looking for him. He was most likely being watched as well, with Shikon's men ready to ambush him.

"I'm on my way there. Gather everyone up at the scene and call airport security," Sesshoumaru ordered. Rika affirmed his orders and clicked off, and Sesshoumaru slipped out of the shadows, his nerves on edge as his eyes darted around, looking for anyone out of place. There was no one.

Then, he heard a scream from the direction where he just left. He turned around, and his brother ran up to him as they made their way toward the crowd hovering around the noise. Several of his agents came out of the shadows, lurking on the edges as Sesshoumaru made his way toward the scene. On the ground, a woman was crumpled with a dark red velvet cloak covering her face. Sesshoumaru stood in front of her and glared at the crowd.

"Please, this is a crime scene," he said, and in his pocket he pulled out a leather pamphlet with his royal insignia. Many people gasped at his stature and airport security began to force the crowd back. One of the sergeants came up to him and whispered to him, awaiting his orders. "Get these people out of here." The sergeant nodded, and Sesshoumaru guarded the body like a precious treasure until everyone was promptly pushed away and the police were blocking off non-essential personnel. Sesshoumaru turned around and studied the body more closely, scented the air around her and realized she was not human, but youkai.

"Your highness, we can take it from here," said the chief as he walked toward him, and Sesshoumaru shook his head while approaching him.

"No, I fear I am partially involved with the mystery of this woman's death," he said. "We were meeting a contact here to perform a sting on some drug cartels."

The police chief nodded and hovered over the body. Sesshoumaru bent down and lifted up the red cloak covering her, and instantly he noticed the gunshot wound to her head that killed her, probably with an engineered silver bullet deadly to their kind. Like everyone else there, he was curious to her identity. He furrowed his brow, and he felt a pit of worry form in his stomach as he recognized her - but only vaguely. Obviously the picture he had of her was outdated, probably airbrushed and manipulated to make her look more immaculate and flawless. However, right now in her death, she looked more fragile and less like a powerful youkai princess.

"Oh my God," said a voice behind him, and by this time, Kagome sprung free from their SUV. Everyone from his agents to the police looked at the body and then to Kagome.

"Why, she looks just like you!" said a police officer to his brother's girlfriend, and Sesshoumaru watched Kagome's face pale.

"I know who this is, sir," said Rika with a frown, and he could feel her looking into his eyes, searching for signs of comfort that everything was going to be okay. Sesshoumaru couldn't assure her. He knew the dead woman too, and the fact that she was killed here, on Inu-sukai Commonwealth soil, would prove to cause a political incident between his country and hers.

"Yes, I know her too," Sesshoumaru said with a heavy sigh. "It is the Lady Jiang from the Fang Commonwealth. The woman I was supposed to marry."


	3. Chapter 2: His Mother's Plan

Undercover Wife

Chapter Two: His Mother's Plan

Sesshoumaru looked around the room and gauged how many police officers knew about Lady Jiang's death, along with his agents. He had to speak to his mother immediately, in case she had to pay off these officers to hush up this incident. Maybe they could create some kind of weather incident or traffic accident so they would be free from political blame. He barely had ideas of his own, but his mother was good at these sorts of things, and he didn't worry because all civic personnel were loyal to the Empress.

Quickly, Sesshoumaru turned to Rika. "Call my mother now before this leaks out and becomes an international incident." Rika nodded and strode off to make her call, a phone conversation that Sesshoumaru was glad his agent did instead. He made eye contact with the police officers who shifted uncomfortably within his presence. "I'm sorry, officers, but you understand we have to properly contain this incident. This is no normal murder investigation."

"Of course, my lord," said the police chief, and his underlings nodded with him.

"Sir, the Empress is on her way," Rika said while flipping off her phone. "She'll be here as soon as she can."

"Good. I will make an informal announcement to put this airport on hold. They need my mother's order in order to officially shut it down." The police began working around them and instructed people to the exits until all gates were virtually empty. The police chief waited for the Empress with Sesshoumaru, and Kagome and Inuyasha fidgeted with worry as they waited. Rika looked pitying at Jiang's body, and she turned to Sesshoumaru and awaited more orders.

"Sir, we still have Kenchi's body. Should we close off that crime seen too?" she asked, and Sesshoumaru nodded.

"We will get some detectives down here to gather evidence and close this scene so the business can return to the airport as usual," Sesshoumaru said. He was sure this would try people's patience, but they had to gather as much data about these killings as they can. However, Sesshoumaru already knew who was behind it all, at least for Kenchi's death. What sort of information was Kenchi brining that cost him his life? How did the Shikon Jewel find out about Kenchi's cover? Sesshoumaru glanced again to Jiang's body and felt a pinch in his gut. Her death was no doubt tied to the information Kenchi lost his life to bring him.

"She's here," Rika said, pulling Sesshoumaru out of his thoughts. His mother strolled imperially through the gate, and she had a relaxed smile on her face.

"Well, well, this is a strange predicament, indeed," she said with a flutter of amusement; however, her mood shifted more seriously when she looked at the body on the ground. She turned to the police chief and airport managers standing by. "Please dismiss all civilians and non-essential personnel and seal this place up. Treat this as a crime scene like any other, but do not leak the victim's identity. If the media asks, her name is unknown, and we have yet to find out her background." She turned to Sesshoumaru and smiled. "And there was another murder as well?"

"Kenchi, my informant," Sesshoumaru said, clenching his jaw. He was angry by her calm attitude toward this situation, but he could only assume she had a plan.

"You did not tell me Lady Jiang would be arriving here so soon," Sesshoumaru intoned.

"I assure you I did not know she would be here either," his mother replied steadily, and she leaned down and looked under the velvet cloak at the body. "Hrmm," she mused aloud. "Someone knew she was a wolf youkai and shot her with an enhanced silver bullet." She sniffed. "There is strong miko energy at work here."

Sesshoumaru nodded in agreement, but he proceeded to the point. "How do we even begin to tell the Fang Commonwealth that their princess is dead? In our country?"

His mother rose slowly from the ground and approached him with a confident smile. "Did I not tell you that I knew Lady Jiang was beautiful?"

He scowled at her. "What does that have to do with anything now?" He followed his mother's gaze to Kagome, and met her golden eyes again.

"We will not be informing the Fang Commonwealth of Lady Jiang's death. I wonder if they even know of her absence. The political atmosphere over there must be in turmoil," she said. "No, I have a better idea, one that does not endanger our own political name. The very last thing we need in Inu-sukai is war and a dissolved partnership." She sighed bitterly. "This is still troublesome anyway. Lady Jiang was the last pure youkai of royal blood that you could mate with."

"Then, we instill commoners," Sesshoumaru said. "And I do believe Sweden has a half tiger and half bat youkai princess of age in two years."

Sesshoumaru's mother made a sour face and stuck out her tongue. "Ugh, I would rather you marry a human than that deplorable ugly harlot. Besides, she has children out of wedlock littered around the world already. Don't tell me, Sesshoumaru that this is the kind of woman you prefer?" Sesshoumaru heard Inuyasha snicker behind him, but he was so angry with his mother he paid no mind to it.

"Be reasonable. This arranged marriage was your idea, not mine," Sesshoumaru said in a barely controlled voice. "This marriage is no longer the issue here. What I want to know is, mother, why you think you can cover up such a travesty? When Lady Jiang does not return to her country they will look our way and come to investigate." Sesshoumaru shook his head. "You cannot keep this concealed forever, and you cannot cover it up completely with bribes. So...I ask, what are you planning?"

Her smile grew wider as she peered into her son's eyes with a devious edge. "You think little of me, I know, my son. But yes, I do have a plan." She strode over to Kagome, and Sesshoumaru watched as she grabbed the girl's chin in her clawed hands. Kagome made a cry of protest, but one look from his mother silenced her, and the Empress continued to speak. "With a little make-up and some potions to give her a demon scent, your brother's fiancée would have an uncanny resemblance to the late Lady Jiang." Sesshoumaru turned to Kagome's shocked expression and felt appalled. "Yes, it may not be easy to fool in person, but on camera and video, she is Lady Jiang's double, and she will be our salvation from potential political chaos." Her voice turned chipper as she looked hopefully at her son. "What do you think?"

Before Sesshoumaru could voice his opinion, Inuyasha vehemently objected. "Oh, no you don't! Whatever you think you're going to do with Kagome, you get it out of your head right now!" He stormed over to the Empress and jabbed his finger in her face. "Kagome is _not_ posing as Lady Jiang, let alone as... as his fiancée!"

"Inuyasha, dear," his mother cooed softly, but Sesshoumaru sensed a sharpness to her warning, "I am the Empress of this land, and you will do what I say. Your father left me in charge, and I forgave him when he told me he had another son with one of his mistresses." Inuyasha was still fuming, standing his ground and unwilling to give into her. Sesshoumaru thought him a fool, knowing that he wouldn't be able to defy her no matter how he tried. She would take him on physically, if she had to, and that would be one decision his brother would surely regret.

His mother held out her arm to him and cupped Inuyasha's cheek; his brother went rigid from her touch. "Do not defy me, or you will pay a heavy price." Inuyasha opened his mouth, but his mother put a finger over his lips and shushed him. He glanced at Kagome, who was still white with shock at his side. "If you are worried about your intended mate becoming attached to your brother, than put your mind at ease. You know your brother will never marry a human, and all of this is a temporary show anyway. Once we get the Fang Commonwealth to trust us and go through with the wedding, we will fake Lady Jiang's suicide, and you will have your mate back in no time." Her hand stroked his cheek lovingly, moving upward to tug playfully on his ears. His brother's temper lowered to a simmer, but his expression was still disturbed as the Empress coddled him into submission.

"Your country needs you, Inuyasha," she said, and she turned to Kagome, "and you as well. Once this is over, I will give my permission for you two to marry." She gave Kagome a knowing smile. "Isn't that what you want, dear?"

Kagome nodded slowly, and Inuyasha snarled. "Fine, but I really don't believe you can dupe everyone in the world." He crossed his arms in a huff. "I wonder if you even have it in you, _Empress_."

His mother's hand jerked up, catching Inuyasha's ear and pulling it as his brother squealed. "Such little faith." She pulled his face down to her level and whispered in his ear. "Just wait and see, my darling."

Kagome continued to pale at his mother's behavior, and Sesshoumaru could only sigh, trusting his mother knew what was best - even if it meant pretending to marry a human woman that would take Lady Jiang's place.

to be continued...


	4. Chapter 3: Fortunate Developments

AN: I apologize for how late this is. Because of school and some really bad family problems I lost track of this fic. I'm going to try to update weekly from now on. Here's hoping nothing else goes wrong in my life!

Undercover Wife

Chapter Three: Fortunate Developments

When the Empress was finished threatening Kagome and Inuyasha to cooperate, she turned to the police chief and began to play her politics as usual. "Get this body bagged up and keep her delicately preserved in the morgue. We'll need to use her body later." She turned to all of the officials working there, and she snapped her fingers for their attention. "I know this is difficult, but I expect to receive your total cooperation. You will be handsomely rewarded of course, but I promise you, if today's events leak in any way later on, you will receive the worse punishment I can decree. Worse than treason, and worse than terrorism. Do you understand?"

With automatic and mutual agreements, the officers performed their duties and took care of the physical matters of wrapping up the crime scene. Sesshoumaru watched his mother play the part of cold, calculated leader, and he frowned slightly when his gaze fell on Kagome, who looked at Inuyasha with such anxiety that it was finally becoming reality to her on what she must do. Inuyasha was still agitated, and Sesshoumaru imagined he'd be like that for some time. However, his mother's plan did nothing to take in his objections, and he rather thought she wouldn't even hear him out. Still, he had to try despite his reasons to be nothing more than futile.

He was about to walk over and ease their worries when Rika drew his attention again. "Sir, we have a problem," said the dark-skinned hanyou agent. "Agents at the gate have captured two suspects trying to leave the premises. They were going under a cover as a monk and a miko."

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow. The silver bullet that killed Lady Jiang had miko energy attached to it. He would not think to be so lucky, but he couldn't ignore the coincidence. He met the hanyou agent's silver eyes and said to her, "Bring them up for questioning." As Rika bowed and left to make the call, he caught his mother's attention and felt less anxious about the situation. If these were truly the murderers for his contact and Lady Jiang, they could close this case sooner than he imagined.

"Rika says we may have our suspects, a monk and miko," Sesshoumaru said to her, and his mother nodded.

"That would make sense," she said. "They could have been hired to kill her, to make us look bad. I have heard of anti-youkai groups that keep spiritual experts in their employ," she said, and even Inuyasha and Kagome were paying attention to the turn of events. Inuyasha almost looked relieved that maybe his intended mate wouldn't have to play in this charade for too long. Sesshoumaru had to admit, he was somewhat relieved too. Still, they wouldn't know until they questioned them to gauge if they were innocent or not.

Hearing footsteps behind him, Sesshoumaru turned to meet Rika and two more agents, and when his eyes fell on the two suspects, his hope immediately deflated.

"You," Sesshoumaru said with a sniff, and the monk smirked at him. The two of them have history, that was for sure, but this monk was definitely not the killer. His bosses would have his hide for it, and he would never do something so overt.

"Good tidings to you, Sesshoumaru-sama. How is your engagement going?" the monk teased, and the woman next to him glared - seemingly without the same sense of humor as her partner.

"Mother, this man is not the murderer. This is Kensagi Miroku; he is specially trained Buddhist monk and Japanese government spy," he said. "I have dealt with him before." Sesshoumaru growled low and continued, "What are you doing here? And who is this woman? Your new partner?"

"We were accompanying Lady Jiang on her trip to Inu-Suki for a special meeting," Miroku said, and Sesshoumaru noticed he was being vague. It wasn't going to be easy to get much information out of the man, and probably even less from the woman. Still, he would take them under arrest and try to work out a deal.

"What sort of special meeting?" his mother asked quickly. Miroku's grin only grew wider.

"I cannot discuss that at this time. I can tell you that I have been undercover as Lady Jiang's servant, as well as my partner Sango." Sango made a curt bow, and she continued to look at them with an uninterested glower. Sesshoumaru supposed she didn't like getting caught, but he knew Miroku was the sort of man that wouldn't get caught so easily. They must have planned to get caught on purpose.

"I assume you are looking for a deal," Sesshoumaru said, cutting to the chase. "You would not have allowed yourself to be so sloppy."

"Clever," Miroku said. "You are right. We meant to contact you. The Japanese government would be very interested to know how Lady Jiang died while we were under her employ."

Sesshoumaru sighed heavily. "Bribery. So what do you propose to keep this under wraps? My mother and I do not want an international incident."

Miroku furrowed his brow. "Surely you do not think you can cover this up? You're going to have to explain how she died one way or another, and Sango and I could work with you on the explanation so it does not make Inu-suki look at fault. This is why we need your cooperation in investigating the drug cartels, and we need your permission to investigate in your country – something that has been difficult for us to do, given your international laws."

"Kensagi-san, do not think us so willing to lie down and admit defeat at this point." Sesshoumaru's mother grinned at Miroku's confused expression. "We do have a plan, a good one, and with your cooperation, we will pull it off. There is no need to create some silly story to excuse Lady Jiang's death."

"Well, madam, I am surprised. I did not know Inu-suki was in the business of raising the dead," Miroku said cheekily.

"Your tone, Miroku," Sesshoumaru said before his mother could retaliate. The monk only shrugged.

"Then what do you intend to do? A woman is dead - a very royal and conspicuous political figure," Sango added.

"If you will avert your eyes toward the younger prince's attended mate," Sesshoumaru's mother said, and Sesshoumaru was hoping he could tangle with Miroku a little more to get additional information. His mother was far too excited for this plan. Miroku and Sango both looked to Kagome. At first, like Sesshoumaru, they did not see the resemblance, but as his mother pointed out, with some small modifications and makeup, Kagome could pass off as Lady Jiang without much problem - at least on TV or on a photograph.

"You have to be joking! I hope you're not going to do what I think you're going to do," Sango exclaimed. She pointed at Kagome and said, "You're going to make her a double?"

His mother was more than pleased. "We are going to try, and I am confident in our abilities. We have potions that can even make her smell like a wolf youkai."

"This is insane," Sango said, shaking her head, but her partner looked amused.

"I wonder if you'll get away with it," Miroku said, stroking his chin. "But now that we know your plan, how do you intend to silence us?"

Sesshoumaru knew it would come back to this. They had to do something to stop Sango and Miroku from squealing to the Japanese government. "We will cooperate with the Japanese government on the drug cartels." Sesshoumaru felt a pit of unease in his stomach, and it must have been obvious on his face. Miroku smirked at him. "You may even have the collar when we find the Shikon Jewel."

"Sesshoumaru!" his mother protested, but Sesshoumaru waved her off with his hand.

"Mother, it is the only way. These Japanese agents have already compromised your so-called plan, and it has not even begun yet. We would benefit from their help," he said. His mother still didn't seem convinced, but she huffed and made no motion to stop the deal.

"Fantastic," Miroku said, holding out his hand to shake on it. "We have an agreement."

"There is just one more thing..." Sesshoumaru said, and he reveled in the flash of annoyance on Miroku's face. "You must help us make Kagome appear and act as Lady Jiang's double. You have been working with Lady Jiang. You know her mannerisms, her personality and biography. I know you were trained to know more about Lady Jiang than she knew about herself when you were agents in Japan. Now you must use that knowledge to help us. It can only work this way."

Miroku bit his lip but nodded. "Fine," he said, and Sango looked more perturbed than before. Sesshoumaru took Miroku's hand shook it once. The two old friends glared at each other as the deal was set. Sesshoumaru's mother chimed in to get the last word, and she began finalizing the cleanup at her airport.

"Right. Let us get started then," she said turning to Kagome. "We start with you." Kagome frowned, and Inuyasha growled at her side. Sesshoumaru couldn't blame their unease, since he felt it too. Kagome's eyes met his, and he could already feel the dread building up inside them both.

This wasn't going to be easy.


	5. Chapter 4: Preparations

Undercover Wife

Chapter Four: Preparations

"I can't believe this crap!" Inuyasha hollered as Sesshoumaru walked on ahead, and he and Kagome with the Japanese agents followed behind home as they exited the airport. Several of Sesshoumaru's personal agents trailed behind them, their hands hovering at their side-pieces making sure Miroku and Sango didn't make a run for it. Inuyasha glanced back at them with a glare, and he knew that no one could get out of this, not even him, when he was the prince of this country. Nothing more would make him happy than grabbing Kagome and taking off to Tahiti to hide until the whole scandal blew over. He knew that neither his brother nor the Empress would allow him the chance.

Kagome continued to frown, but she had a thoughtful expression on her face. "I don't like it either, but if it prevents two countries from going to war... I suppose there's nothing left for us to do."

"You can't just assume Fang Commonwealth will go to war. We had nothing to do with her death," Inuyasha said with an angry harrumph.

Sesshoumaru turned around and met his brother face to face. "We _can_ assume they will make war with us. The Fang Commonwealth has been rumored to favor war over a royal marriage for some time now. Several members of their parliament have even started funding the idea under the table. After all, war is a lot more profitable than marriage."

"So Lady Jiang's death from drug lords we can't even control in our own country would be just the fodder they need to go ahead with a war they already want," Kagome observed sadly. Sesshoumaru turned to her and met her eyes with a nod.

"I'm glad to see your woman has more sense than you do, brother," Sesshoumaru said, though still looking at Kagome and refusing to meet his brother's angry glare. "This is not enjoyable for me either, and I have my doubts, but if Mother can make this work." He cracked a small smile. "Our country will save many lives and a lot of capital."

Kagome nodded, finally seeing the bigger picture, even though the idea of pretending to be Sesshoumaru's fiancé still made her feel extremely awkward. "I would rather do this to potentially save lives than refuse and have people die because I could have changed things."

Inuyasha looked back and forth from his brother and girlfriend, noticing their mutual agreement. The look on his face only suggested he was the only one who wanted to rebel from this because he was scared of them working so closely together. If Kagome only knew that he was more than frightened than ever to lose her. He should be comforted knowing his brother was against cavorting with humans, but what if Sesshoumaru changed his mind? What if Kagome changed her mind as well?

Then, his relationship with Kagome would be ruined.

OOOOOOOOOOO

Sesshoumaru crossed his arms and hovered around the spare bedroom in the palace that was to be Kagome's room while Sango and Miroku became her makeshift servants. He watched as the two Japanese spies began counseling and instructing Kagome on Lady Jiang's ways, and the more information they delved on the late princess, the more Sesshoumaru was starting to feel like this bonkers plan was actually going to work. He turned his head to watch Kagome's mortified face, and his hopes dashed slightly. She was pale, unsure, and more than anything, worried. Her worry was beginning to cause him doubts, and likewise his brother's nasty disposition did not help the woman's confidence. Sesshoumaru furrowed his brow as his brother paced about the room, snorting and making impatient, rude sounds as Sango tried to explain to Kagome on how she had to mimic Lady Jiang's atrocious personality exactly.

"The thing you have to remember the most when acting like the princess is that she is selfish and she has no care for others, especially humans," Sango told her. "She humors humans and passes her haughtiness off as shyness when around human diplomats, but when she is around other youkai royalty and high ranking officials, she is a terrible gossip, and she's rude and racist against humans. She's also very duplicitous. When wolf youkai are in the room, she slanders dog and bird youkai. When dog youkai are in the room, she slanders cat and fox youkai, and when fox youkai are around; she makes fun of raccoon and dog youkai. You get the picture. She only cares about wolf youkai, unless they are Eastern tribe, which are widely known to be the family's mortal enemies. She has no qualms about badmouthing _them_ in front of anyone."

"Who is the leader of the Eastern tribe?" Kagome asked, memorizing all of Sango's points carefully.

"Oh, that would be Prince Kouga. Lady Jiang despises him, and sometimes I think she had reason to," Miroku said. Sango nodded.

"Ha, I know that bozo. He's a loud mouth ass. Lucky you haven't met him yet, Kagome; he's a womanizer and a complete menace," Inuyasha butted in. Kagome looked unsettled and nodded once.

"Don't worry," Sango said in a light tone. She met Kagome's eyes and her expression held that of sisterly affection. "I'll give you some files to study on all the royal officials Lady Jiang new about and had her dealings."

When the atmosphere was finally becoming lighter, and Sango, Miroku and Kagome were starting to relax into their inevitable duties, Inuyasha growled loudly and threw up his hands.

"This is just impossible! It's going to fail! Kagome can never act like that bitch Lady Jiang!" he hollered.

"Humph. Any woman can act like Lady Jiang, so it's more possible than you think, brother," Sesshoumaru said, and Sango and Kagome both narrowed their eyes at him. He smirked wider. Good, he wanted them to get mad - it should inspire them at any rate. "Now, little brother, just settle down and cooperate. The more you carry on, the more your woman loses her confidence." Sesshoumaru's steely eyes pierced into Kagome's again. "One slip up and one falter of confidence could endanger the whole country, and with the way you've been around her since we left the airport, I'd be more than happy to inform Mother that it was your influence which made her fail."

Kagome swallowed uncomfortably, and Inuyasha glared at his brother and seethed from his threat. Sesshoumaru knew there was nothing his brother could do, so he only smirked at him, challenging him to even try defy him. When his brother backed down, Kagome looked even more out of sorts from the exchange.

"Wow, no pressure or anything, right guys?" Kagome said with a nervous laugh, and Sesshoumaru watched her hug herself in anxiety. He cocked his head and strode forward, knowing more than anything humans needed reassurance. He didn't entirely understand the concept, but if it would bring her confidence up, he would try. He extended his hand and squeezed her shoulder. She looked up at him, shocked by his gesture. She froze under his stare.

"You will do fine," he said, his voice lighter than usual. Then, while his brother and the humans gaped at him, he turned heel and left the room. He could hear soft voices perk up as he left while Sango and Miroku continued their lessons.

While Sesshoumaru was alone in the hallway, he looked down at his hand, noticing the warmth there. He hadn't touched someone like that, human or not, in a long time, and it perplexed him. Had it really been that long? He closed his eyes and took a steady breath. Even worse, he thought. He never really realized it until now - he really would have to get close to Kagome, closer than comfort would allow.

He had to be vigilant. He could not let this let this ridiculous yet necessary charade become the salve to his loneliness. He chided himself; the idea was too preposterous to even imagine.

To be continued…


	6. Chapter 5: Underlying Motivations

Undercover Wife

Chapter Five: Underlying Motivations

Inuyasha was summoned away by the Empress as Miroku and Sango continued their tutelage in prepping Kagome to _become_ Lady Jiang. Kagome was becoming exhausted, and it was an understatement to say she was having major doubts if she could pull this off. Not even Sesshoumaru's odd moment of comfort sated her rocky nerves, and things only worsened when it became more of a reality, and the Empress sent more helpers to her new room to prepare her new look, drown her in masking scents, and help her learn how to walk dignified, at least with Sango's help, walk like the former Lady Jiang.

Kagome stood in front of a fully length mirror, and after hours of primping with new makeup, clothes and Lady Jiang's trademark hairstyle, she barely even recognized herself, and she stared in awe on how closely she was starting to look like the late princess. She was pulled out of her frozen thoughts when Miroku told her to look snottier and meaner, and Sango chuckled beside them as she rubbed more masking oils into her perspiring skin.

"I think you'll fool everyone, but you must be careful. There are a couple people we may have to look out for," Miroku said, his hand on her rear to straighten her posture, though the grin on his face indicated he was enjoying this far too much, as Sango threw him a few warning glares. Kagome began to watch them, realizing they were more than just agents together.

"Yes, the one person you'll need to fool more than anyone is Lady Jiang's uncle. Her parents, of course, have passed away, so he rules Fang Commonwealth now, but he's getting up in age and is eager to marry his niece off to secure the country of new ruling blood. Still, his scent is more in tuned with Lady's Jiang's because they are related; plus he's known her since birth, so even the slightest oddity in her behavior may make him suspicious," Sango explained, stepping back after she applied the last of the oils onto Kagome's skin. Kagome sighed a little in relief now that the oils were finally drying. She couldn't smell anything else but sandalwood, and she almost wanted to sneeze.

"We may have one thing to our advantage," Miroku said, turning to Sango. "The Lady Jiang and her uncle the Emperor were never on good terms. He is a kind, gentle man, and he doesn't know much about the dealings going on in his parliament. Many of his parliament and cabinet want to overthrow him. Lady Jiang has made several backdoor deals with them. She's been mostly in the background, but she has a hand in almost every conspiracy going on against the Emperor."

Sango winced. "Yes, he started to suspect something right before Sesshoumaru's marriage proposal. I think the publicity of the arranged marriage has distracted him somewhat on her involvement, especially her ties to the drug wars."

Miroku nodded. "Lady Jiang was a known methadone user. Though it isn't as potent to hurt youkai, the drug causes a more dangerous effect for them." He paused and Kagome stared at them with wide eyes as the two agents exchanged glances. "It's seldom known but the drug increases a youkai's ability. It makes them super strong, and for certain demons, like wolf demons, make them pretty much bullet proof. Lady Jiang's special side effect was super speed. She was addicted to it, so she got more involved in making and selling the drug."

Kagome gaped. "So, it's worse than Sesshoumaru thought," she said. "Why are you telling me this?"

Miroku and Sango looked at her with solemn expressions, but Sango spoke first. "We don't know how long the Empress plans to have you stand in for Lady Jiang, but it may be long enough where you'll be exposed to the dealings, and several of her contacts may try to reach you. We'll have to work that out with the Empress, but you must have fair warning about just exactly Lady Jiang was a part of."

"Not only that, but one of Lady's Jiang's drug lord rivals was Naraku, who was also her former lover. She knew things about him that even we don't know," Miroku said. "We'll brief Sesshoumaru on it, of course, but you must be aware of the danger this role entails."

Kagome swallowed hard. "I really don't have a choice, do I?" Kagome bit her lip, but then she got an idea. "You said Naraku was her former lover, right? So there's no way he'd try to contact me. They're done, and I'll try to make excuse to avoid any drug deals, and I'm sure Sesshoumaru will help me on this."

Sango shook her head. "We hope it's that easy, but Naraku is the jealous type. He's already made it known he's not happy with the arranged marriage, and Miroku and I have heard from our sources that he may even try to crash the wedding. He still wants Lady Jiang, for her name, her riches, and more than anything, her ties to the drug ring. He's pretty powerful himself, but he doesn't always have the funds. Lady Jiang was a goldmine for him, and it was against his choice that she broke things off with him. He's been trying to get back with her since the first day she told him things were over."

Kagome thought she was going to faint, so she walked over to lean onto a table. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath; she almost wished Inuyasha was here. She perked up when she heard footsteps behind her, but she felt wilted when she met Sesshoumaru's golden eyes.

"She looks near perfect," he said with a sniff. "And I can no longer smell the human on her."

"Well, I rubbed her raw with that oil you gave us," Sango said. "And once Kagome learns to scowl and frown more, I think we'll have the look down perfectly."

"So do I smell like a demon now?" Kagome asked Sesshoumaru as he continued to sniff her and then backed up. Their eyes met, and Kagome felt a wave of unease as he inspected her.

"Not at all. The sandalwood mixture is masking the human scent. My mother's top chemists are concocting the demon scent to match Lady Jiang's now. I doubt it will perfectly smell like her, but with the time we have, it is good enough," Sesshoumaru said, circling around Kagome like she was an art piece, not a person. Kagome pursed her lips.

"We were just telling Kagome-sama about Emperor Fang and Naraku," Miroku said, and Kagome watched Sesshoumaru's lip curl at the mention of the latter name, and Kagome found that curious.

"Of course, teach her as much as you can, and I will fill in the rest," Sesshoumaru said, and Miroku and Sango nodded.

"So you know this Naraku guy," Kagome blurted, wondering if she should have brought him up for a later time. The more she knew about him the better, and quickly too.

Suddenly, Sesshoumaru's demeanor changed. His eyes narrowed, and she watched him as she could see a memory wash over his usually impassive face. "He is a formidable drug lord. We've had problems with him here, as well as with our Japanese allies. It's no question his origin is of Fang Commonwealth, and we've always suspected his tie to Lady Jiang was the reason he was able to get into our country so easily. I have crossed paths with him once," he said and Kagome watched him pause, his teeth grinding. "His ambush scarred my arm so badly I have permanent nerve damage."

Kagome watched as Sesshoumaru quickly unbuttoned his dress shirt and showed her the scar on his left arm. She gasped, and she pushed back her desire to trace her finger over the damaged, gnarled skin, so out of place when the rest of Sesshoumaru was so smooth and perfect.

Sesshoumaru cleared his throat, and quickly he buttoned up his shirt and met Kagome's curious eyes. "If I see this Naraku ever again, I will kill him. Let me assure you, I will have no regard for Lady Jiang's country, this ridiculous rouse, or politics. He deserves to die, and I have been hunting him a long time."

"Surely you don't buy into the rumors, Sesshoumaru-sama?" Miroku chimed in, breaking apart the unusual spark that had flared up between her and Sesshoumaru. Both turned to meet the agent's violet eyes. "You really believe Naraku is the famed Shikon Jewel?"

"I have no tangible proof, but my intuition says otherwise, and that is all I need." Kagome watched his eyes for a moment, so full of fire and vengeance.

She spoke up, remembering that Miroku and Sango believed Naraku would come to find her here. "You may not have to hunt him any longer. Miroku-san and Sango-san say that Naraku is still in love with Lady Jiang, and he will probably come to sabotage the marriage." She shuddered at the thought of seeing Sesshoumaru rise to his full anger and attack Naraku. War would be inevitable, and she would be relieved at being free to not play this role as Lady Jiang. However, was war with another country and the lives of others worth Sesshoumaru's vengeance?

Strangely enough, Sesshoumaru looked down at her with a terrifying smile she'd never seen before. He was cooking up a plan in his head from this news, and she knew that she'd be part of it. Suddenly, Sesshoumaru was seeing this charade to marry a doppelganger Lady Jiang as beneficial to him.

Kagome doubted that he was against this idea now. In order to bring Naraku out of hiding and up to his doorstep, he would need _her_, and confrontation would be more than immanent. Even worse for her, she'd have to play this role, and she'd know that Sesshoumaru, as adamant as he'd been before, would no longer be against getting close to her.

She wondered just how far he would play his part, and how much he'd really be enjoying it.


	7. Chapter 6: Machinations

AN: Argh, stupid real life… but here I am!

Undercover Wife

Chapter Six: Machinations

Kagome was practically speechless after Sesshoumaru's regard for this marriage rouse had changed, and he was more concerned to use her as Lady Jiang to his advantage now that he was most certainly going to see Naraku.

So, she changed the subject. While he was basking in his reverie of possibly catching and killing the man responsible for eluding him and damaging his arm, Kagome asked him about Inuyasha.

"Have you seen him on your way here? He left a while ago; you mother called him," she said, feeling worried. "He should be back by now."

"Knowing Mother, she has a plan for him in all of this too," he said with a huff, but he avoided Kagome's eyes and she found that suspicious. Sesshoumaru definitely knew something.

Kagome frowned and crossed her arms indignantly. "I hope she's not offering him money. It's bad enough she threatened him, but money? If I know Inuyasha, he'll never accept this plan. She can't expect him to be happy about it, and money and threats are only going to flare his temper more."

She saw a fanged smirk from Sesshoumaru, but he soon frowned again when he caught her staring up at him. "If I know mother, she can be very persuasive. My brother doesn't have a choice," he said, turning to her. "Neither do you and me," he growled low. "We have to just accept it."

Kagome tilted her head, shooting him a glare. "Yes, but you have something to gain from this rouse now. Don't include Inuyasha and me into your clandestine plans."

Sesshoumaru's smirk crushed his stoic mask. "You may you think you know something, but you do not." He stepped up toward her, and Kagome froze, feeling his presence invade her personal space. He traced a finger over her golden hair ornament and he looked down at her with smoldering eyes, a ploy no doubt, to seduce her and make her uncomfortable. Well, it was working. It was no secret Sesshoumaru was handsome, but he was normally aloof, so when he paid attention to someone (and not in the way to kill them) it meant something, and it made her stomach do flip flops of primal glee. "You're doing so well, Kagome. You're starting to look and act more and more like Lady Jiang." His voice trailed off, becoming lower. "It is almost like you were separated at birth."

She narrowed her eyes at his obvious insult, and he drew away with a light chuckle. "There, just like that." Then he stalked off, paying her no mind. She turned around to Miroku and Sango behind her, who were both watching the conversation with intense scrutiny, just as they were trained to do as agents. Sango frowned at her, while Miroku smiled weakly.

_Damn him!_ Kagome thought, and she hoped Inuyasha would return soon so she could rant to him about what a manipulative bastard his brother was (despite him being annoyingly gorgeous).

* * *

Inuyasha didn't like this. It was obvious the Empress was toying with them all. She only cared about her own interests, and sometimes he wondered if she even cared about the country at all. Whatever kept her as the supreme ruler in control, he supposed.

He knew the way to her throne room, which until last year, had additions constructed within it, and he padded his way down the deep purple velvet carpet that lead to her showy throne, only to turn left to her newly installed office room where she conducted all her affairs.

When he stood outside the door, her sentry nodded to him to let him go inside. He looked to his right, and where her secretary usually sat at her office, he found the desk empty, noting he'd be dealing with the Empress alone that day.

He figured that was part of her plan too.

Inside the larger main office, another room was closed off, where Inuyasha would ultimately find the Empress. When he cautiously came inside, he found her reclining in her chair, her legs propped up on a prissy cushioned stepstool angled at her right. She was reading a manifesto intensely, but she waved her arm to let him in, knowing he was there.

"Come in, my son," she said, and he furrowed his brow to the endearment. He hated when she called him that, and he could feel his face flushing red already. She did it to piss him off, and it worked. She was not his mother, and they both knew that very well; however, after his father had died she had barged her way into his life and took over things, and now she kept a close eye on everything, even his personal life. She explained that she did it to make sure he and Sesshoumaru weren't doing anything to embarrass their country, but Inuyasha believed she just liked to meddle.

He wouldn't be surprised if his bedroom was bugged, and if there were secret cameras in his bathroom. He shuddered at that last thought.

"So what do you want?" he asked gruffly, plopping down in the seat opposite of hers with the large cedar desk in between them.

"So impatient," she said, putting down the papers she had been so meticulously reading. She met his golden eyes with an intimidating smile. He instinctively glowered at her.

She folded her hands together and rested them on the desk. She gave him a serene smile, and Inuyasha was almost in awe on how she did that. There was nothing serene about this woman.

"Now I know you are upset about this whole political mess," she said, waving one of her hands. "I understand the frustration you must feel... seeing your brother pretend to show your girlfriend affection and vice-versa."

"Yeah? Who wouldn't?" he said, crossing his arms with a huff.

The Empress stood up from her chair and slinked around her desk toward him. He watched as her hand caressed the smooth polished top, and when she came over to him, he froze as she rested against the side of her desk, her purple skirt somewhat lifted as she crossed her calves and rubbed her knees against his.

He looked up and met her smile again, but he sensed a cat-like wickedness to her aura, and he knew then that he was in her office for something other than a bribe to keep his mouth shut about Lady Jiang's death.

The Empress picked up a stress ball from her desk and began squeezing it as she watched him. "I want you to think about something, my son. When you get angry at what your girlfriend is doing for her country, I want you to think. It must be difficult for her. You must have faith in her and support her." She paused, and suddenly, he didn't like where this conversation was going. She shifted her body on the edge of the desk and leaned toward him. Her long silvery hair created a curtain around her prominent cleavage. He didn't realize before, but that skimpy purple dress she was wearing strangely looked really good on her.

"I do support her. I _trust_ Kagome," he said starkly, feeling his blood run cold then hot as she leaned closer to him.

"Good," she said, her tone sounding like a cat's purr. "And she trusts you, right? She is loyal and there is nothing that would endanger her devotion to her? I mean, you are dedicated to her, right? You haven't made a formal engagement to her but that's what you intend."

Inuyasha's breath hitched in his throat, and when he looked beyond her manipulative expression, he took the weight of her words. Ah, so that was what she was doing. She was playing on the fact that he hadn't proposed to Kagome yet, that they'd been together for three years, and he still hadn't made that step with her.

He growled low, but suddenly, she caged him, putting her hands on the arms of his chair and sinking near his face, so close their noses could touch.

"Keep it up, Inuyasha. Keep trying to defy me. I enjoy it," she said with an equal growl. He backed down, knowing dominance when it stared him in the face.

"What do you care about me and Kagome?" he asked, trying to quell his submissiveness.

"I just want you to know that I'm here for you, my son. I know that it's hard to make up your mind about Kagome. I mean, another woman broke your heart, right? It's natural that you would be cautious," she said, trying to appeal to him again.

His eyes narrowed. "What would you know about it? You were arranged to marry my father. You are clearly not an expert on love," he spat, and he almost regretted the insult, but with careful study he realized he didn't even poke at her anger. He barely ruffled her, and her face was confident and proud as always. This is definitely where his brother got his attitude.

"Yes, I was," she said agreeably, but there was motive behind it. He froze when he felt her fingers trace his jaw. She looked at him, and he saw her eyes fixed on his lips. Her voice fell to a whisper. "You look a lot like him too, did you know that?"

For Inuyasha, that was the last straw. Somehow, he managed to wiggle his way out of her cage, and he bolted from the chair and headed for the door.

"We're not finished, my son," she said in a sing-song voice.

"Oh yes, we are," he said with a mocking cackle, already on his way out of her outer office. She surprised him though, heading him off with her quick speed and resting her delicate hand on his chest.

"Please, Inuyasha, if you won't cooperate with cleaning up this mess for your country...at least cooperate with me," she said, and he was motionless again, unable to speak or move from his spot. He couldn't figure it out, but the Empress was magnetic. It made him wonder about her. Did she never get her way?

"And what will you give me then? All I want is Kagome!" he snarled, grabbing her hands. He was going to push them away, but she turned the tables on him, taking his hands into her own tight grasp.

"Are you sure all you want is Kagome?" she asked, her voice husky.

Inuyasha's jaw gaped as he watched her. She stared into his eyes and her voice rumbled low. "You have no choice. I order you to do it, but it pains me to be so forceful with you, my son."

He felt one of his eyebrows rise curiously. "Oh, does it really?" He challenged her, but his words only tempted her further. Her face broke into a sly grin.

"In the worst way," she said in a dramatic tone. She finally released his hands, and they fell softly to his sides. He started to walk away, feeling her eyes still on him.

He swore under his breath as he retreated out of her sight, knowing the bitch had won. He knew, however, that he was doomed the moment he walked into her office. She could do worse things to him as the Empress than seduce him and he knew it all too well.

Inuyasha supposed he should be grateful at least for that.


End file.
